Tubular bandage



Oct. 16, 1951 B. RosENFlELD 2,571,946

TUBULAR BANDAGE Filed Aug. 6,y 1949 INVENTOIL Benjamn Rosenfield ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16,1951

'UN 1I TED ES @PATIESN ISQFLFICZE `vTUBUL'AR BANDAGE n VBenjan'ifinf-Roseneld, New York, -N. Y.,assignor -.tof.The SchollLMfg. Co.,-Inc., New `York,'N.-Y., lancorporation-'ofiNew York doplieationmigust 6, 19.49.1Serial N0.' 108,986

'Alams (CL-128-.157)

This invention relates tolimpr'ovements in a tubular bandage applicable to extremities-ofthe humanl body Vand particularly to the digital'members of the body. It maysbe employed on animals as Well as humans, however,- and adaptedto other-analogous uses.

It has been found that previous methods of bandaging thehuman body-involving the use of tubular bandages, while fairly satisfactory when used by skilled physicians or nurses, do not al- Vways prove satisfactory where the4 patient wishes to bandage himself, and this is true. especially Where a linger is involved and one-hand is wholly or partly disabled.

One cf the objects of the'present inventiongis to provide a method ofapplying a tubularbandage whereby the-same Vmay beeasily accomplished by the operator or user and with the use of only one hand if necessary.

Another object of this invention is to provide Fig. 1 is a side View of a tubular bandage l closed at its central portion according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of an applicator used in the practice of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of an applicator and tubular bandage in position for insertion of a linger or toe therein or for passing the former over the latter;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section of the bandage and applicator after insertion of a digit member therein and application of the bandage thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, I and Ia represent a piece of tubular gauze or stall which is closed and tied in the middle as at 2. The closure element consists of a short length of cord, thread or surgical suture coated and impregnated with a resinous or other tacky vwaxlike semi-fluid substance which will cause it to adhere to itself and to the fabric of the tube when Wrapped around it and not dry out even after considerable exposure. Some of the semi-uid substances which may be used for example, are beeswax, rened shoemakers wax, turpentine in a pasty state, any of the numerous sticky resins `2 or a combination of any of these. vTherwirpose of using an adhesively coated threadorstring -is that it may be Wrapped tightly-around the-tubular gauze and will close and maintain closed the gauze without the necessity of tieing andwill `hold the tube closed tightly and permanently, an

-ordinary thread'or cord maybe used, however, -a-nd tied in the -usual mannen-but with less satisfactory results, particularly if one hand of the :user is whollyorpartly disabled. The wrapping voperation is also superior to twisting ortiei-ng "because it makes a smooth-closureV without the objectionable lump orknot.

Referring to Fig. 2, the applicatorused-'inthe practiceof this invention consists preferably ofya piece of sheet metal or plastic stamped or molded Ainto-an'elongated U-shapedchannel-bar -3, with open ared and rounded ends at 3a and doubled on itself at 4 to form a semi tube, the bent over portion 4 forming a handle and spring connecting portion 5 cut away as at 6, this cut away portion is advisable to prevent crimping of the metal when the bend 4 is made. As the arms or forks of the applicator are spaced apart and the instrument is made of resilient material it is both contractible and expansible and therefore will contract under the constriction of the tubular gauze which is of lesser diameter, when it is applied thereto, and expand when it is removed therefrom.

In operation a piece of gauze of proper length-usualy about twice the length of the body member-is selected and the adhesive string 2 wrapped around its middle so that the closed tubes I and Ia are of approximately equal length. The tube portion Ia is now slipped over the outside of the channel bars or fingers 3 until the ared ends 3a encounter the closure 2. The tube portion I is now retroverted or folded over the closed tube portion Ia as sh-own in Fig. 3. The digital member to be bandaged is now pushed into the interior of the applicator, or the applicator passed over it open end first, as shown in Fig. 4, thus automatically reversing the positions of the closed tubular bandage members I and Ia, stripping them from the applicator and causing them to surround the digit member. The applicator expands to its normal diameter when released from the tubular bandage and may then be slipped olf the digit member and bandage, now inside it, and the bandaging has been completed.

Variations in the details of construction and operation above described may be made without departing from the scope of the invention` No claim is made to the applicator or the tubular bandage per se and they may have any suitable form, either that of copending application of Scholl Serial No. 749,754, led May 22, 1947 now patent No. 2,522,842, or Hendrickson, et al patent, No. 2,456,507 of December i4, 1948, both owned by the owner of the present application, or other satisfactory form, and they may be em- -ployed within the scope of the appended method or process claims.

One of the advantages of the present method is that it enables the physician or chiropodist to mount a number of tubular bandages on applicators and have them on hand ready for immediate application to an extremity of the body and without Ibeing touched by the hands, by simply grasping the loop or handle and passing it open end rst over the affected portion of the body, and thus expediting the operation and preserving the asceptic condition of the bandage if desired.

What IV claim is:

1. A combined multiple tubular bandage and applicator therefor comprising a longitudinally vdivided resilient, hollow applicator of sheet mawhereby said tubular fabric may be applied to an extremity of the body by passing said extremity into the said open end and through the interior of the applicator thus stripping the bandage off the applicator and applying' it to the said extremity.

2. A combined multiple tubular bandage and applicator therefor comprising a longitudinally divided resilient, hollow applicator of sheet material having an open end and a closed end, a piece of tubular fabric closed medially and having the portions on both sides of the closure passed over the applicator and holding it in contracted position with the closure at the open end of the applicator and closing it, whereby said tubular fabric may be applied to an extremity of the body by passing said extremity into the said open end of and through the interior of the applicator thus stripping the bandage off the applicator and applying it to the said extremity.

3. In a combined bandage and applicator as specified in claim 1, the medial closure of the tubular fabric comprising a piece of adhesive cord or the like wrapped around the tube and drawn tight to close it but without tieing, Whereby a secure closure is provided without forming a lump or knot.

4. In a combined bandage and applicator as specied in claim l, the medial closure ofthe tubular fabric comprising a piece of cord or the like Wrapped around the tube and drawn tight to close it, whereby a secure closure is provided without forming a lump or knot of fabric.

BENJAMIN ROSENFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,326,997 Hochman Aug. 17, 1943 2,456,507 Hendrickson Dec. 14, 1948 

